Adjustable bed rail



Dec. 22, 1964 c. L. SHORT ADJUSTABLE BEDRAIL Filed Jan. 22, 1962 Cecv/ Z. J'fiorf INVENTOR.

BY ga e.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,161,894 ADJUSTABLE BED RAIL Cecil L. Short, 1450 N. Flores St., San Antonio, Tex., assignor of twenty-five percent to Harold R. Short, San Antonio, Tex.

Filed Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 167,740 4 Claims. (Cl. 5-296) This invention relates to an adjustable bed rail and more particularly to a bed frame utilizing such bed rail, said rail being adjustable in both lateral and longitudinal directions whereby a spring unit of any given dimensions may be accurately positioned on said frame or other supporting member of various width.

As is well-known in the art, headboards, footboards, and spring units (boxsprings, innerspring mattresses and bedsprings) do not have a uniform standard of width. In view of these variations, when the hook plate of a standard bed rail is inserted into the elongated slot of a conventional headboard or footboard, a number of slats are required to span the bed rails in order to support the spring unit.

Secondly, at the present time, there is no provision for accommodating extra size spring units without fabricating rails for each specific spring unit length required.

It is therefore an immediate object of this invention to provide a bed rail wherein simple lateral and longitudinal adjustments properly fit the spring unit to the bedstead.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bed rail which is capable of lateral adjustment thereby compensating for variations in the dimensions of standard headboards, footboards and spring units made by vari ous manufacturers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bed rail which is longitudinally adjustable to properly fit either a standard length or extra length spring unit to a bedstead.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bed rail which eliminates the need for bed slats or other transverse support and wherein the boxspring or mattress is supported uniformly along the entire length of the bed rail.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable bed rail which is simple in construction, easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture, universal in its adaptability and adjustable for various sized bedsteads and spring units.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawing in which:

FIG. l illustra es a perspective view embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

For purposes of convenience only, henceforth throughout the specification and drawings the adjustable bed rail of this invention is illustrated as including only a portion of a side rail and means for attaching said side rail to a conventional bedstead. It is to be understood, of course, that the side rail connects in a like manner at both ends to a conventional headboard, footboard or other supporting member to form a rigid frame.

flange 10a. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the rail 10 is approximately the same length as the boxspring or mattress which is to be utilizedon the frame. A rail extension 11, into which rail 10 slidably inserts, includes a rectangularly-shaped, horizontal base plate 11a, outwardly depending from said plate 11a is a generally channel-shaped portion 11b-11c having a vertical cross-sectional configuration which conforms with the cross-section of vertical flange 10b. The portion 110 terminates slightly above horizontal flange 10a (see FIG. 3).

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, flange 10a overlies plate 11a, a bolt 12 passes through an elongated slot 13 in flange 10a and plate 11a, respectively, whereby the length of the bed rail may be adjusted at either one or both ends to accurately fit the boxsprings r the like.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference Member 16 comprises a plurality of olfset portions -16a16c positioned in substantially parallel planes and connected by an intermediate transversely-extending portion 16d. Positioned adjacent the outer end of portion and depending therefrom at approximately a right angle and in substantial alignment with portion 16d is a short portion 16c.

A conventional hook plate 17, made'of sheet metal or the like, is provided with hook-like portions i7a-17b, engageable with the pins (not shown) in the ordinary bedstead construction. As best seen in the dotted-line portions of FIG. 3, the hook plate 17 is provided with inclined slots 18a18b, said slots extending downwardly and rearwardly. When the projections 17a-17b engage the pins of the conventional bedstead, the weight of the spring unit and bedding will tend to force the bed rail downward and toward the bedstead by reason of the inclined slots Isa-18b, the portions 16d16e abut the bedstead providing rigidity of the frame.

As best seen in FIG. 1, a pin 19 extends horizontally through a bore in portions 1641-160, members I la-14b, as well as the elongated slot 18a in hook plate 17, said pin being secured to the innermost surface of portion 16c by expanding the pin or the like. In like manner, a reduced portion of adjusting screw 20 passes through a bore in portion 16a, through slot 18b in book plate 17 and portion 16b, respectively; a threaded portion of said screw threadingly inserts into member 14a, flanges 11b-11c of the rail and member 14b, said threaded portion terminates adjacent the outermost surface of portion 16c. A further reduced portion of screw 20 passes through a bore in portion 16c and is secured by a locking pin 21 or the like (see FIG. 2).

Lateral adjustment of the rail 10 may be obtained by rotating the screw 20, the rail 10 traveling between portions lob-16c, respectively, accurately accommodating the spring unit positioned on the horizontal flange 10a and plate 11a. As best seen in FIG. 1, the base plate 11a extends inwardly of horizontal flange ltia thereby providing support for the spring unit prior to final lateral adjustment.

In a modification of the invention, it has been found that the channel-shaped member 14a-14b and the rivets 15 attaching said member to the outermost end of rail extension 11 may be eliminated. In this embodiment of the invention the screw 20 threadingly inserts into flanges lib-11c of the rail 11 or into a slightly enlarged portion thereof. Lateral adjustment of the rail is provided in the manner heretofore described.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all'changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable bed rail comprising, in combination, a side rail, a rail extension, said side rail and rail extension having horizontal and vertical extending portions, the horizontally-extending portion of the side rail overlying the corresponding portion of the rail extension and including means whereby said side rail is longitudinally adjustable to accurately accommodate a spring unit positioned on said side rail, a bracket member including a hook plate, said hook plate being adjustably positioned relative to said bracket member and a threaded element in said bracket member and rail extension whereby rotation of said threaded element causes the rail extension to traverse laterally.

2. A bed frame comprising a pair of L-shaped side rails, a pair of rail extensions, each of said side rails slidahly inserting into a rail extension, a female threaded portion in one end of each rail extension, means for laterally positioning said side rails relative to the sides of a spring unit placed on said side rails, said means including a hook plate for engaging vertically spaced pins in the headboard and footboard, said hook plate containing first andsecond angularly inclined elongated slots, said means including a pin passing through said first slot, said means further including a threaded element passing through said second slot and the threaded portion in said rail extension whereby rotation of said threaded element causes said rail extension to traverse laterally.

3. The invention of claim. 2 including means for adjusting vthe combined length of said side rails and rail extensions to correspond to the length of the spring unit.

4. A bed frame comprising a pair of L-shaped side rails, a pair of essentially L-shaped channel rail exten sions, said rails slidably inserting into said rail extensions, a U-shaped channel member secured to each end of said rail extension, a female threaded portion in said channel member and rail extension, a hook plate for engaging vertically spaced pins in the headboard and footboard, said hook plate including first and second angularly inclined elongated slots, a structural member connecting to each end of said rail extension and bearing against the head boand and footbo-ard, said member containing a pin passing through said first elongated slot, and a threaded element passing through said second slot and female threaded portion in said channel member and rail extension whereby rotation of said threaded element causes the rail extension to traverse laterally and the side rail is accurately positioned relative to the sides of said spring unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 402,129 Beckert Apr. 30, 1889 1,551,984 Dyke Sept. 1, 1925 2,539,933 Silverman Jan. 30, 1951 2,550,224 Clerc Apr. 24, 1951 2,648,074 Jonas Aug. 11, 1953 2,845,636 Iaquinta et al Aug. 5, 1958 2,974,327 Vail Mar. 4, 1961 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE BED RAIL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SIDE RAIL, A RAIL EXTENSION, SAID SIDE RAIL AND RAIL EXTENSION HAVING HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL EXTENDING PORTIONS, THE HORIZONTALLY-EXTENDING PORTION OF THE SIDE RAIL OVERLYING THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE RAIL EXTENSION AND INCLUDING MEANS WHEREBY SAID SIDE RAIL IS LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE TO ACCURATELY ACCOMMODATE A SPRING UNIT POSITIONED ON SAID SIDE RAIL, A BRACKET MEMBER INCLUDING A HOOK PLATE, SAID HOOK PLATE BEING ADJUSTABLY POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID BRACKET MEMBER AND A THREADED ELEMENT 